This relates generally to fuse arrays.
Fuse arrays are widely used to store information about the level of services that have been acquired by a user. For example, in a set top box or cable box, a fuse may be set to indicate services that the user has paid for. However, a wide variety of other uses are also possible.
One problem that arises is that when a fuse bit is defective, the entire fuse array would have to be discarded. One approach to avoiding this problem is to provide redundant fuses. These redundant fuses are then addressed in place of regular fuses that are defective. Generally, this requires replacing an entire row of fuses just because one bit in that row is defective.